The Hindu Business Line : Forum on preserving natural resources

New Delhi May 30 The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the World Bank have organised a forum on `Promoting social innovations for natural resource management' under the World Bank's India Development Marketplace (IDM) 2007 initiative.

Ms Isabel Guerrero, Country Director, World Bank, said IDM 2007 is aimed at identifying and supporting small and innovative development projects that manage precious natural resources efficiently,

The project themes include protection and conservation of forests, wildlife and biodiversity, development of watersheds and management of common property resources, including groundwater recharge and promotion of sustainable agriculture.

It also includes integrated pest management and water efficient crops, improvement in quality of air, drinking water, sanitation using better technologies and management and generation and use of renewable energy among others.

More opportunity

Ms Sarah Mattingly of World Bank spoke on `Identifying innovations - Global development marketplace'. She said the development marketplace provides a great opportunity to tap into an enormous pool of innovative local solutions to help achieve these results on the ground and improve people's lives.

Mr Vivek Bharati, Advisor, FICCI, pointed out that the scope for public-private partnerships in National Rural Mission was immense whereby the private sector can promote natural resource management initiatives as also involve the local community in areas such as social forestry, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic herbs, rainwater harvesting and watershed management, organic farming, wasteland reclamation and development and natural resource-based alternative fuel such as biogas and biofuels.

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